Doji Kusari
Ikoma Kusari was a bushi commander who married the Crane Clan Champion, Doji Domotai and took her family name becoming Doji Kusari. Family Kusari was the elder son of Ikoma Korin, the Ikoma Daimyo. Report of Miya Shoin to the Righteous Emperor, Toturi III (Imperial Herald v2 #16) His brother Ikoma Hagio Ikoma Hagio (Glory of the Empire flavor) became daimyo after their father's death in 1170. Preparations, Part II, by Lucas Twyman, Nancy Sauer, Brian Yoon, and Fred Wan Demeanor Kusari was a strange young man, possessed of boundless good fortune and high spirits. Even when he received news of his father becoming ronin he maintained tight control of his emotions, or again when his father was redeemed he only permitted himself the briefest of smiles. Seeds of Revolution, by Shawn Carman and Rich Wulf Training and Betrothal Kusari was a skilled Go player, and the Akodo family invited Kusari to attend the Akodo War College, studying under the general Akodo Bakin at Shiro sano Ken Hayai. During this time he was fortunate to meet and fall in love with Kitsu Juniko, daughter of the Kitsu Daimyo, Kitsu Juri. Kusari and Juniko were betrothed shortly after Kusari completed his training and passed his gempukku Unexpected Allies 2, p. 22 in 1165. He was appointed to serve as the assistant to Akodo Ieshige, the Governor of the Okura district at Toshi Ranbo, and moved into the Lion estates there. Station Hitsu Taekeru In 1166 Akodo Setai, the Lion courtier, requested that Ieshige travel to the small Crane city of Hitsu Taekeru. An officer of the Lion whom patroled along the Lion-Crane border, Akodo Tekkan, had seized the city without first consulting with his superiors. However he was within his duty to take control of the city as he had deemed it a threat to the Lion and so could justify his actions. Tekkan claimed that the city was the source of several attacks on Lion patrols and the banditry that had been happening in the area, but Setai believed his true reason was to reignite the Lion-Crane blood feud between both clans. Kusari was also requested, because his betrothed Kitsu Juniko had already traveled to the city a week ago, against her fathers wishes, in the hopes of resolving the situation, but had not been heard of since. Setai expected that Tekkan would listen to reason from the Lion hero. Seeds of Revolution In 1165 the city had suffered greatly during the Rain of Blood and the villagers were forced to kill all the samurai who had fallen to the taint. The peasantry had felt betrayed, first by the Phoenix when they were taken by Hantei XVI, then by they Hantei when he was defeated and finally by the Crane after they abandoned the city after the Rain of Blood. When they reached the city, Akodo Sadahige was in command. Tekkan, Juniko, and others had been murdered by a unknown city stalker. The Bloodspeakers had murdered them. Betrothed Again With news of the death of Kusari's betrothed, Setai arranged the marriage of Kusari with the Crane Clan Champion's daughter, Doji Domotai. Ieshige put Kusari in charge of the city until his wedding when the Lion would be gifted with the city by the Crane as part of the marriage. All these factors allowed the Lion to stay in the Crane city as well as avoid the beginnings of a peasant revolt that was bolstered by the shadow assailant. They did not know that Yajinden was in the city commanding the heimin and the murdering. Marriage In 1167 Kusari married Domotai at Kyuden Doji. The two young samurai did not love one another, as usually happened in most samurai arranged marriages. Dawn of Lotus, The Crane Clan, by Shawn Carman Kusari took the family name of his wife. They were coming to appreciate one another in the months since their wedding. The Topaz Championship, Part One, by Shawn Carman Winter Court - 1168 In 1168 Kusari was one of the Crane representatives in the Winter Court at Kyuden Otomo. He returned before the end of the Court, and informed his wife that the Imperial Chancellor, Bayushi Kaukatsu, seemed intent on pitting the Empress Toturi Kurako against the Shogun Kaneka. The Chancellor had outmanouvered Doji Seishiro and Doji Nagori, and he controled more of what went on in the court. Domotai expected to anchor their support around Otomo Hoketuhime, the Otomo Daimyo, who had great influence in court and the hostess of the Winter Court. Will of Iron (Imperial Herald v2#21), by Shawn Carman and Fred Wan Lion-Crane Alliance As part of the Lion-Crane alliance Kusari was appointed as the Crane military officer at Ninkatoshi, and the principle advisor to the Lion city governor. Masters of War, p. 91 Mura Sabishii Toshi back to Crane Mura Sabishii Toshi, a holding taken by Mantis Clan with the power of their koku, was taken back for the Crane by their Lion allies. In 1170 Kusari, as former Lion, was scheduled to attend the final ceremonies for the passing of control from the Lion to the Crane. When he returned to Kyuden Doji the Empress Iweko I had already won the Celestial Tournament. Domotai, still with child, had not attended it. A New Empire, Part III, by Rusty Priske, Nancy Sauer, and Lucas Twyman Children Domotai was already pregnant with the couple's first child around the time of the crowning of Empress Iweko I. ref name=NewEmpire3/> Doji Makoto became Domotai's heir and future Crane Champion. GenCon 2011 scrolls: The Crane Destroyer War In 1173 the region of House of False Hope was overrun by Kali-Ma's invading forces during the Destroyer War. The defense of the area had been risked by the maneuvers of a small group of merchant patrons of the Crane, Mantis, and Unicorn Clan, who were willing to jeopardize Scorpion holdings if there was profit in for them. These machinations were brought to the attention of Doji Domotai by a letter from Doji Asami wherein she explained why she committed jigai. Kusari was sent to deal with the issue. While he spared the lives of the merchant patrons, he truly punished them by involving Yoritomo Yashinko, assistant to the Imperial Treasurer and by involving the Emerald Magistrate of whom Bayushi Saito got involved. The Destroyer War, Part 13, by Shawn Carman End of the Destroyer War Daigotsu, Shahai, Susumu, Fu Leng, and Kali-Ma had died. The drawback was that Daigotsu had returned in a phantom form, as the Master of Jigoku. The Empress proclaimed the end of the Destroyer War with the victory of the Empire. The Spider Clan had been conferred the status of Great Clan. Those free of taint could remain in the Empire, and the tainted were put under guard of the Dragon Clan, to extend the Empire in the Ivory Kingdoms as the Iweko's Conquerors alongside with the Mantis Clan. Goddesses, Part 4, by Shawn Carman All the Great Clans were addressed in the Imperial edict but the Crane. Domotai was concerned with the Crane exclusion of the Empress' will. They began to plan how to recover the favor of Iweko. Aftermath, Part 1, by Shawn Carman Retirement After the Destroyer War, Kusari was instrumental in rebuilding the Crane armies during the Age of Exploration. He was especially valuable in assisting the Daidoji family in reorganizing their forces into regular armies. Kusari retired with Domotai when she stepped down in favor of their son Doji Makoto many years later. See also * Doji Kusari/Meta External Links * Doji Kusari (Empire at War) Ikoma Kusari Category:Crane Clan Members